ABUJA (Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment Report)
An inspection team of the Weight and Measures Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abdulkadir Musa has recently embarked on the enforcement of the Legal Metrology Law on the Petrol Filling Stations in Abuja found to under – dispense petrol to customers.
The Publicity Department of the Ministry in the report published on Saturday June 13, 2015 reverred the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abdulkadir Musa as saying that during inspection at the Mobil Filling Station in Lugbe along Airport Road, the dispensing pumps at the station were discovered to short-change customers from their two operational dispensing pumps by 2 litres 69 mls for every 20 litres of PMS (17.31 as 20 litres); whilst other dispensing pumps dispensed 18.66 litres for every 20 litres. Other filling stations inspected by the team were: the NNPC in Sabon Lugbe which had one pump sealed for re-calibration; the NNPC in Durumi, Area 1 and the Total Filling Station along Herbert Macaulay Way as well as the Forte Oil along Olusegun Obasanjo Way and the Total Filling Station in Wuse Zone 6. Others visited were within tolerance level stipulated by law.
Abdulkadir Musa reiterated government’s commitment to enforcing Legal Metrology Laws in all sectors of the economy; adding that government would not tolerate anybody cheating customers because they are desperate to get fuel. He explained that it is not only in the oil sector that Nigerians are to feel the impact of the Department, but also in the operation of the Automated Payment Machine (ATM) in the banking sector and telecommunication industries as well as correct measurement in the market.
“Whatever we are doing now is to send messages to defaulters that we are now standing on our feet and we would be effective in regulating the Weight and Measurement Act in the oil and gas sector. I assure you that what happened in the past will no longer be, since Nigerians now know what we can do. We have synergized with the oil major and stakeholders in the sector and they are well informed of our statutory responsibilities of ensuring that trade is fair, correct and transparent,” he noted.
“As a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, I do not believe in sitting down behind the board to read reports written by my staff. I want to see my men in action to ensure compliance with the Weight and Measurement Act and I commend them for their dedication and effort towards viewing the limited funds and staff.”
The Director of the Weights and Measures Department, Adeyinka Sikuade, while addressing journalists said that it was extremely disappointing that motorist are being short – changed in the filling stations; adding that the Department will continue to embark on such exercises throughout the federation to ensure that marketers conform to fairness and standards. He also indicated that the maximum permissible error allowed at dispensing pumps is 60 mls. He revealed that the Departments in collaboration with stakeholders are working on the portion of the act which deals with penalties to deter erring stations from cheating.
Sikuade stressed on the penalty for defaulters that the stronger area for preventing such erring stations from operating is to seal them or remove their nozzles and ensure that they are unable to conduct any businesses from such pumps, until the anomalies are corrected.
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